Assessment of removal of Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. from wastewater treatment processes

Author(s)

Raphael Corrêa Medeiros

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Carlos.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC/SBD)
• Defense date: 2013-09-27

Examining board members

Luiz Antonio Daniel; Rafael Kopschitz Xavier Bastos; Regina Maura Bueno Franco; Elayse Maria Hachich; Jurandyr Povinelli

• Advisor: Luiz Antonio Daniel

Abstract

This work aimed to evaluate the efficiency of removal of pathogenic protozoa - Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. - during wastewater treatment by UASB reactor, activated sludge, slow sand filter and different disinfectants. The recovery of Giardia cysts and of Cryptosporidium oocysts, performed by different methodologies and using ColorSeed®, was respectively of 85 and 20%, in raw wastewater and 62.5 and 17.5% in treated effluent, applying triple centrifugation method. Giardia cysts were found in 100% of the the sewage samples surveyed, with average of 1.5 x 104 cysts per liter and Cryptosporidium oocysts were found in 31.4% with average of 3.1 x 10² oocysts per liter, in raw wastewater. Giardia cyst and Clostridium perfringens spores removals were statistically lower than E. coli and total coliforms removal when applying the biological treatment by UASB reactor followed by Activated Sludge. There were no (oo) cysts after treatment tertiary accomplished by slow sand filtration. There was a statistically higher removal in the full scale WWTP for total coliforms and Clostridium perfringens; however, E. coli and Giardia cysts, in both WWTPs, presented the same removal efficiency. High concentrations of (oo)cysts were found in the sludge sludge, with a high percentage still viable. Regarding disinfection, among the indicating bacteria, Clostridium perfringens was more resistant to chlorine, ozone and ultraviolet radiation. The synergic effect promoted by sequential disinfections (chlorine-ultraviolet radiation and ozone-ultraviolet radiation) was evidenced in some experiments for all the bacteria studied. Chlorine altered the fluorescence of Giardia cysts and ozone, as well as change in fluorescence was able to decrease the concentration of this microorganism. It can be concluded that the concentrations of indicator microorganisms as well as of pathogenic protozoa is very high, regardless the kind of wastewater: raw, UASB reactor effluent or activated sludge effluent. This shows the extreme care that must be taken towards these effluents, for future reuse or simply release in the environment, mainly due to the presence of viable Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. (oo)cysts even after the activated sludge treatment, and the need of disinfection of the effluent. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 10/07902-1 - Assessment of the behavior of protozoa Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. and indicator microorganisms in the wastewater treatment and in river water
• Grantee: Raphael Corrêa Medeiros
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate